


in which link complains about the weather and finds a ghost

by kingseagull



Series: Monster in the Woods [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Blood and Gore, Enemies to Friends, M/M, but not really just one description of a wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 12:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10594245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingseagull/pseuds/kingseagull
Summary: Travel the world to save everyone he ever knew and loved? Sounds difficult but sure.Look for a monster that may or may not even exist during a thunderstorm? He’d rather die.





	

**Author's Note:**

> more work i had to do for class, this one had to be a 1-2 page story with a reversal at the end so what better way to do it than using my favorite trope  
> i wanted to make link selectively mute but there also needed to be dialogue so thatll be for a later piece i guess

“There’s a monster in the woods,” someone had once said.

Rain came down in sheets around Link. His boots were caked with mud, clothes completely soaked and clinging to his body, and his hair was like a mop on his head. If it were any other day he would be happy to explore the forest again, but in these less than desirable conditions he’d rather explore the desert and potentially get stuck in quicksand.

One of the seniors in the village had been raving about a monster; one with dark eyes, sharp claws, pale skin, and a wide grin. This was the same man who would go on and on about Batreaux, so Link didn’t take him that seriously. However, Zelda insisted that he check it out saying something about it being better to be safe than sorry. As much as he loved his sister, traversing the densely wooded forest during torrential downfall was a bit much to ask.

Travel the world to save everyone he ever knew and loved? Sounds difficult but sure.

Look for a monster that may or may not even exist during a thunderstorm? He’d rather die.

Just as he thought this a sudden wind hit him in the back, causing him trip on a vine and fall face first into a puddle of mud. He got up and wiped his face off, wishing more than anything he was drowning in quicksand.

With the mud out of his eyes he took the first good look at the forest since he got here in the first place. Trees. Trees as far as the eye could see with an occasional bush or puddle. This was the farthest he had ever gone into Faron Woods (far enough that he hadn’t seen a single Kikwi in well over a half hour), not recognizing anything around him at all. The air smelled just as one would expect, hot and wet, making it hard to breathe. If his ears weren’t still ringing from the fall he’d hear the squishing of his feet on wet leaves beneath him, no sound of wildlife whatsoever as they were much smarter (and not obligated to be outside) than him and found shelter.

Never in his life had Link been jealous of birds but here he was, jealous and wet.

As his head began to clear, a cough caught his attention. He stopped, straining his ears for the source. There it was again, muffled by the rain, but he could tell it was to his left. He began walking toward the source, hand ready to unsheathe his sword if need be.

Walking slowly as to make as little noise as possible, the coughs got louder and louder, closer and closer until they were practically right next to him. A wall of vines were in front of him, blocking who, or whatever was coughing. He readied his sword and pushed back a cluster of them. A chill of shock, or perhaps fear had raked down his body as if he had seen a ghost.

In all actuality, he had. Right there in front of him was a man he thought to be long dead, Demon Lord Ghirahim. Now that he thought about it, the “monster” he had been chasing described him perfectly, how he had not known it to be the Demon Lord was beyond him.

“What are you doing here,” Ghirahim asked, sparing a glance his way through dripping bangs. “Come to finish me off once and for all hero?”

“I could ask the same of you,” Link said while putting his sword in its sheath, deciding to trust the man as he looked as if he would collapse at any moment. He stood there, leaning against a tree covered head to toe with various wounds. The most prominent one was across his chest, right where his core should be is memory served him right. From where he stood the cut looked deep enough to sink his thumb into, blood practically pouring onto the grass below.

“Ah, I see you picked up at least one thing from all our run ins, answering questions with more questions,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“One of the townsfolk supposedly saw a monster in the woods so Zelda wanted me to check it out. Now that I know you’re apparently not dead looks like I found what I was looking for.”

“I see you’re still running errands for that Goddess of yours.” A cough. “As much as I’d love to end your search early I doubt I’m the one you’re looking for. I’ve done my best to stay out of sight from you humans.”

“I think you are though.”

“And why’s that?”

“You fit the description perfectly.”

“Of?”

“Dark eyes, sharp claws, pale skin, and a wide grin.”

That caused Ghirahim to burst out in laughter, before being cut off with a cough strong enough to just nearly knock him off his feet. When he caught his breath he said, “That has to be the most basic description of my perfect physique I’ve ever heard. Even you had better ways to do so in your insults towards be back at the Sealed Grounds.”

Link laughed, Ghirahim’s response lightening the mood despite the rain around them and the ever-growing pool of blood beneath the demon. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed Ghirahim. He didn’t miss him like he missed Fi or Impa, but he was never one to hold a grudge and Ghirahim was the greatest opponent he had ever faced. Throughout his entire adventure he found himself almost looking forward to their encounters.

Silence filled the air save for the rain and the occasional cough. “D-d do you want to come back with me to the village?” Link asked.

Another laugh before a cough. “And why would I do that skychild?”

“You’ll die out here if you don’t.”

“That’s classic coming from you, the man who plummeted his sword into my very core a couple of months ago. And didn’t you come out here to kill the ‘monster’ anyway? Why not just let nature take its course and leave me here?”

“You were trying to kill my sister Ghirahim that’s differe-”

“Who’s to say I won’t actually do it when we get to the little town you call home?”

Link pondered that for a moment, then said, “Because you wouldn’t have a reason to. Obviously if you’re here in front of me now you fled the battle with Demise when you had the chance. What I think is your subordinates figured this out and that’s why you’re in the state you are right now.” Ghirahim flinched. “Look’s like I hit the nail on the head. To answer your question before I was never told to kill the monster, I was just sent to come deal with it. If my way of dealing with it is letting you live then who’s going to stop me?”

The demon looked down at the tattered remains of his clothing, blood seeping into the stitching with mud practically covering his legs. “Fine,” he said pointidly. “Don’t think of this is a pity party hero, I’m leaving as soon as I possibly can.”

Link walked over to him and offered his shoulder for support. Ghirahim scoffed and said something on how he can walk on his own, then after taking one step almost fell to the ground. Almost embarrassed, he put his arm around Link’s and they began to walk one step at a time back to the village, and although the demon didn’t know it, he wouldn’t be leaving it anytime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> i say enemies to friends but really its enemies to not at each others throats long enough to save one of their lives to implied future friends at the end


End file.
